Accented Glory's accessory designer Tonya Cross (TC) got a chance to meet and chat with fellow woman entrepreneur Camille Brown (CB) of Hazel's Soapery. Check out their conversation below to learn more about Camille, her brand story, and natural products she create. 
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​TC: Thank you for agreeing to share your brand story with our Accented Glory Family! I love meeting and  engaging with other creative women in business. Please introduce yourself and tell us who you are.
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CB: Hello Everyone. My name is Camille Brown and I am the Artisan and Proprietor of Hazel's Soapery.  I am also a Mother, a Sister, a Friend, a member of Zeta Phi Beta, Sorority, Inc. and currently a South Carolinian (not sure how much longer that is going to last).
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TC: Accented Glory's target audience is black women with natural hair. I know how life changing returning to natural hair has been for me personally. Tell us about your natural hair journey and how it has impacted you.

CB: I began my natural hair journey after researching the use of "relaxers" and its effects on uterine fibroids. I was curious why it seemed as though so many young African American women had them.  Understanding I needed (Still do) to change my diet, I never considered how what I was putting on my hair could affect my internal health. It was an eye-opener for me.  One that ultimately led me to create Hazel's Soapery.

TC: WOW...My natural hair journey inspired me to launch my brand Accented Glory as well! Tell us more about your brand Hazel's Soapery and how it came to be. 

CB: Hazel's Soapery was created from a lot of major pieces that came together over the span of about 10 years.  I'll give you the abridged version :).

On my 34th Birthday, I was getting dressed to go out with a group of friends.  As I was getting ready I noticed a pain in my left breast. I didn't pay it much attention at the time and continued on with my evening.  Well as time went on I ended up with a mass in my breast the size of an egg.  After several treatments and scans, too many pain relievers and antibiotics. I had to have a partial mastectomy to have it removed.  I was blessed to have a wonderful Dr. who was a world-renowned researcher in Breast Care.  After removing the mass she was so curious about its make up that she studied it.  She called me in to tell me that the mass was a build-up of toxins that my body was not able to secrete due to a blockage caused by using Clinical Strength deodorant. You can read the entire story here.

The second piece was my Grandmother, Hazel Whitman. I had the Grandmother that people put in movies. She was kind, prayerful, wise and for a little girl who would never be quiet, she let me talk as much as I wanted :).  She was the person that people would call and say, "I have an earache and I don't know what to do." My grandmother would go into the kitchen, mix some stuff up in a bowl, put it in an old medicine bottle, and say, "Come on Baby, pick this up".  So I got my beginnings by staying attached to her hip, watching her, and not even realizing what it was I was watching. In addition to listening to my mother talk and read about different roots and vitamins. It laid dormant until about two years after her passing. 

The third piece was my transition to natural hair. My grandmother was also a Cosmetologist, her and my Great-Grandmother owned their own shop back in the 1930s. One of their early lessons was to "take care of your scalp and your hair will grow healthy without all that junk". So I have never been a fan of using a lot of products (Minus my Jerri Curl phase). When I decided to go natural, I couldn't find products that worked on my hair. So, I began to research and mix my own. I made itchy scalp sprays and all sorts of concoctions. Then one day, I came across an article that said; Whatever you put on your skin takes 26 seconds to get into your bloodstream. That was it, I needed to know what was in my soap, my lotion, my lip balm, of course, deodorant and here we are today. I found that I could create and therefore control the ingredients that I used on my skin. More importantly on my children's skin.  We have seen such a change over time and its amazing.

TC: I'm a huge advocate of using products made with all-natural ingredients. Tell us why you chose to avoid using chemicals and harmful ingredients in your products. 

CB: I avoid using chemicals and harmful ingredients mainly for the reason stated above. However, I will add this. My belief is that God created this world with everything we need to survive on it. So when you think back to our grandparents, for me I was blessed to even know my great-grandparents. I was able to watch them garden, cook, make home remedies, can food, hunt and cut up meat. All these things that we got away from because it was more convenient to buy it pre-made or packaged. So what many companies did was find a way to mass-produce the simple God-given ingredients to make a profit. The trade-off has been our health. So when I looked back and see, my Grandmother lived to be 80 yrs old, with clear skin, no real health problems, in her right mind and compare it to me who at before 40 had breast surgery, fibroids, Dry-skin. It was obvious, I needed to go back to what they were doing. Convenient or not. My main goal is to not have my children be dependent on the easy way. Or the junk food, the bad habits that I have, and am trying to break. I want to raise them without having the need to create new habits. But have healthy ones from the start. I want the same for my customers. I want us to understand those big companies are in the business of making our skin dependent on their product so that if we stop using it for an hour, we need to get more. I want us to reset our skin, so that it functions as it should on its own, with products that work for it. 


TC: Love your mindset; everything we need can be found in nature! I also noticed that you have a blog on your website. Why do you feel it's important to educate your customers?

CB: I love teaching. I was a pre-school teacher and Parent Educator at another time.  It is so little we understand about ourselves.  About how to love and nurture our skin and our hair. I happen to also love doing research. So as I learn and grow, I feel I would be remiss to keep that knowledge to myself. We suffer in many ways because we know not. We don't know why our skin is so dry. Also, Hazel's Soapery didn't start out to be a business. It started out because I wanted to change the way I was taking care of myself and my family. I want to share what I learn so that if there are others out there who are doing the same we can help each other. For every piece of information I share, someone has poured more information out into me. Everything can't be about a profit or I wouldn't be holding true to the name of my company. Plus my Grandma will visit me in my dreams and set me straight :).


TC: I'm a forever learner and enjoy sharing what I have learned as well. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience? 

CB: Absolutely. If you ever have any questions about an ingredient or thinking of starting your own business feel free to reach out to me. I will help as best as I can. Also, a huge Thank You to you for inviting me to share a little bit about Hazel's Soapery with your community.

 
TC: You're very welcome! I'm so glad we got an opportunity to connect. I definitely feel like we have kindred spirits! Where can our audience find out more about your business and services?

CB: They can shop for my products at www.HazelsSoapery.com and send me questions at Camille@HazelsSoapery.com. They can also like/follow Hazel's Soapery on social media at links/handles below:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HazelsSoapery/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/hazelssoapery/
Twitter: @HazelsSoapery

You can NOW purchase Accented Glory designs directly on our Facebook business page! We currently have designs in the shop that can ONLY be purchased in our Facebook Shop. See two of the designs below. Click Accented Glory then "Shop Now" button below our Facebook page banner to browse and shop!  

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.
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At Accented Glory various materials and concepts inspire the formation of my accessory designs. I allow my imagination and creativity to guide the way. I’ve decided to record a series of video shorts that highlight my creative muses. In the video below, I share about cowrie shells and their African Roots. Click play to learn more.

No look is complete without great accessories!

Shop for our beautiful cowrie shell designs on Etsy or Amazon. 

Congrats to Accented Glory's visionary and accessory designer Tonya Cross on the pre-launch of her NEW book Our Stories His Glory! Our Stories His Glory is a book anthology that contains stories of victory from very transparent contributing authors. This awesome project is led by Visionary Author Laticia Nicole Beatty and SHERO Publishing. 

The ladies and gentleman in this book compilation have powerful stories that will bless you!
The title of Tonya's chapter is Choose Life. She shares how her self-love and forgiveness journey led to a life of abundance. Her hopes is that readers glean from her story and learn that they too can live more abundantly.

To purchase Our Stories His Glory during the pre-sale, visit Compilation Authors and click on our visionary's name Tonya Miller Cross to order. Books purchased during pre-sale will be autographed by our visionary and include a special gift! The books will be available May 23rd. The cost is $24.95 and includes shipping.

Accented Glory’s “Love Duo” with Akwati Style is back just in time for Spring! We partnered with Angel Jordan; an amazing fellow black designer for the collab. In the duo, our Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings are paired with an off the shoulder white shirt. Matching Ankara fabric directly from Nigeria was used to create the set.

Accented Glory’s Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings are all that and then some! The African print center and cowrie shell tassel gives it an Afrocentric vibe that exemplifies our brand energy. They are light weight, so no worries of stretching your earlobes. The hoops are also lead and nickel free and are available in both gold and silver color.

​What makes this earring design even more fabulous is that we also have customized matching headbands. These sets are available in our Etsy Shop’s bundle section. The headband designs are satin lined to protect natural hair from drying out and breakage. In addition, all of our headband designs are adjustable. What does that mean for you? No more headband headaches; you control the tension. Our bundle pairings are great gift sets for some self love or to bestow upon someone else.

​So, what are you waiting for? Express your African heritage with Accented Glory’s Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings. No look is complete without great accessories!

Click Akwati Style to order Love Duo from their website.

Click Etsy Shop to purchase one of our Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earring and Headband Bundles.

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.
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Accented Glory designs are created for Naturals by Naturals. My team consists of myself and three daughters; we all are Naturals! Our brand demonstrates our firsthand understanding of natural hair care needs through our quality designs and services. Below are 5 reasons why our customers LOVE Accented Glory's designs!
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Our customers love the Afrocentric Vibe of our hair accessory and jewelry designs! The majority of our designs are created with cowrie shells. Cowrie shells have African roots and portrays a message of respect, honor, and inspiration. The shell is the first symbol of money and wealth known to mankind. Cowrie shells are also believed to be a gift from the goddess of the water Mami Wata. She's the most celebrated mermaid like deity from Africa. You too can feel like an African Goddess by rockin' Accented Glory's designs!  ​
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Our hair accessory designs are created with fabrics and materials that minimize damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. We try to avoid coarse fabrics that can cause friction with natural hair and lead to breakage. Many of our designs are created with satin fabric to evade hair breakage and drying out of natural hair. Because most natural hair care regimens includes oils, we also avoid using adhesives when possible and reinforce design with hand stitching. Oils can break down adhesives and affect durability. Durability is a top complaint from Naturals when it comes to hair accessories!
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Another concern we hear about from Naturals is headband headaches! These headaches are known as compression headaches caused by constant pressure on forehead, crown of head, behind the ears, and nap of neck. All of Accented Glory's headband designs are adjustable and provides a remedy for these headaches. Our adjustable headbands allow our customers to control the tension!  
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​Accented Glory is Team Save Edges! Often times hair accessories get a bad rap and are accused of causing damage. Yes, all hair accessories aren’t created equal, BUT most damage comes from simply wearing too tight accessories. We put the tension control back into the hands of our customers with our hair accessory designs. Pretty shouldn’t hurt!
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​We wear test all of our designs to ensure that they are not only stylish, but also comfortable. One of the most common styles worn by women with natural hair is the Afro Puff. Many use an elastic band, ribbon, and even pantyhose to create this style. Sometimes these methods can be painful and cause headaches. Our customers avoid the pain with Accented Glory's signature design Afro Puff Holder! It holds your Afro Puff in place and accent your hairstyle at the same time. It's also made with ouchless bands to protect natural hair from damage!​

​So, what are you waiting for? Join our Accented Glory Fam and experience first hand the LOVE our customers have for us. You can start by shopping with us on Amazon for some of our top sellers below. Click on photo to buy!

Tonya Cross - Accessory Designer of Accented Glory
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Accented Glory’s visionary Tonya Cross shares what make her hair accessory and Afrocentric jewelry designs unique! Shop with Accented Glory on Etsy and Amazon for your hair accessory and jewelry needs. We have an array of one of a kind designs. No look is complete without great accessories!

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

​Accented Glory’s hair accessory and jewelry designs can now be purchased at the Community Arts Gift Shop! The shop is located in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts and is operated by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County​. The shop address is 251 North Spruce St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. You can shop for pieces by local artist Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am - 4pm.


We customized a necklace and earring set for the shop. Currently this accessory set is exclusive to the center. And of course it has the signature Accented Glory Afrocentric Vibe. This design set features cowrie shells, wooden beads, and silver accents. Whether your look is dressy or casual this set would be a great accessory!


​Accented Glory has both headband and earring designs at the gift shop. All of our headband designs are adjustable. What does that mean for you? NO MORE headband headaches! We also have our NEW Cowrie Tassel Hoop and Cowrie Shell Tassel Earrings that were featured on Essence in the gift shop. If you’re in or visiting the Winston-Salem, NC area be sure to swing by and support us by making a purchase! Your support is truly appreciated. No look is complete without great accessories!

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.

Often times hair accessories get a bad rap. They’re accused of causing pain and natural hair damage. Plus they’re labeled as inappropriate for women of a certain age. Today, I’m going to set the record straight and dispel all these myths!

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Hair Accessories Cause Headaches

Too tight hair accessories is what causes headaches! These headaches are known as compression headaches; caused by constant pressure on one’s forehead, crown of the head, behind the ears, and nap of the neck. A remedy for this issue is adjustable headband designs. Accented Glory’s headband designs are all adjustable and meets the needs of our customer base. They’re both comfortable and natural hair friendly. Accented Glory designs are created with fabrics and materials that minimize damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. Click Amazon or Etsy to shop and get free U.S. shipping on our natural hair accessory designs!

Hair Accessories Cause Breakage

To keep things fair, hair accessories can cause damage, but the damage is often caused by a misuse of the accessory design or material used to create the design. The best way to solve these natural hair issues is education. At Accented Glory we educate our customers on what to look for when purchasing and styling with hair accessories. Check out our natural hair Styling Guide for hair accessories on Etsy for more advice and tips on styling natural hair.

Hair Accessories Are For Young Girls

You cannot put a age limit on expression of style! The misconception that hair accessories are only for young girls can possibly be attributed to retail stores catering to a much younger demographic. That’s why Accented Glory has mature designs for the grown and sexy...and STYLISH women!


What are somethings you’ve heard about hair accessories that may or may not be true? Feel free to share in comments below.


Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

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Check out some of Accented Glory's adjustable headbands on Amazon! 
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